Warning: Backpacks may damage your child's spine!

It's that time of year again. Our children are going back to school and many of them will be carrying backpacks that are either too heavy or fit poorly. Even if your child has excellent posture, backpacks can have a negative impact on posture. In the event that your child has poor posture to begin with, a poorly fitting and overloaded backpack can cause significant injury to their growing spine. In addition to being very elastic (the ability to spring back to the original shape when a load is removed), we are also quite plastic (having the tendency to maintain a deformation after the load is removed). Backpacks and activities like computer and cell phone use create a semi-permanent deformation of the spine. I say "semi-permanent" because if the deforming load is identified and removed and the person receives proper care, normal posture and function can be restored.

In the next few weeks leading up to school, you can bring your children in for just such a postural evaluation as you see pictured above. Just call the office and tell the staff that you would like to have your child's backpack posture checked and we will make sure that they are not doing something that can have significant long-term consequences. Call (952)835-6750 and ask for a free backpack check.